Tombstone Tuesday

FORD family line: Second generation back:

Everett Lee Ford was the son of Jesse Lee Ford and Elizabeth Jane (Bias/Baylous) Ford. He was born in 1886 in a log cabin outside of Winfield Putnam WV and was the third of four children. His older brother died at the age of 2 of diphtheria, both sisters lived to adulthood.

Everett Lee moved from WV around 1890. The family traveled by boat along the Ohio River to Cave-In-Rock Hardin Illinois. An uncle on his mother's side had moved there earlier and both families stayed there except for Everett Lee.

Everett was a wanderer, moving to several different areas in Illinois and Iowa. He was a salesman, mostly in insurance.

His first wife and my grandmother was Mary (Debord). She was born 1896 in Winterset Madison Iowa. Together they had eight children, 7 living to adulthood.

The children were:
Everett Edward Ford 1915-1997
Melvin Curtis Ford 1916-2008
Burton Harold Ford 1918-1963
Florence Madeline Ford 1920-2001
James Paul Ford 1921-1997
William Wayne Ford 1927-1997
Amanda Jane Ford 1930-1930
Robert Gene Ford 1932-

Amanda Jane was named after her mother's sister, who had raised her after her mother's death. Most of the brothers stayed in the Illinois area most of their lives except Everett E., who inherited his father's wanderlust. Burton Harold was a policeman in Moline Rock Island Illinois and died of brain cancer fairly young. Cancer was widespread through the family, most of the brothers and sister died of either cancer and/or diabetes. James Paul worked for Social Security, Melvin worked for International Harvester, and Robert was an air traffic controller. William was the only one to follow in Everett Lee's footsteps, making his living as a salesman.
Their mother, Mary (Debord) Ford Fry was a cook in the Manhattan restaurant for 20 years.

Everett and Mary were divorced after the youngest son was born. Both remarried. Everett to Elva Emma Combs. Mary married Christian "Chris" Fry.

Everett lived with his daughter in Colorado for a while before his death in 1973, but was buried in Riverside Cemetery Moline IL. Mary was divorced from Christian Fry after 5 years of marriage. She lived with a son in later years and died in the Chicago area in 1959. She is buried in Greenview Memorial Gardens in Moline Illinois.
Both parents also died of diabetes and cancer.